Court has ruled that the controversial merger of Samsung's two affiliated companies in 2015 is valid.
 
The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday made its first ruling on a complaint filed by minority shareholders of Samsung C&T, who claim that the merger was unfair and unjust and that their stocks were largely undervalued.
 
The panel said that "the merger cannot be seen as unfair just because it was aimed to strengthen the leadership's control" and that "even if the size of the merger had been unfavorable to a minority of shareholders, it cannot be ruled as unjust."
 
The merger between Samsung C&T and Samsung's textile unit, Cheil Industries, was seen as a means to strengthen boardroom control for the conglomerate's de facto leader Lee Jae-yong, who is currently jailed for bribery.